A Cup of Tea
by lovewriting18
Summary: What can a single cup of tea lead to? Well, Marcus can't wait to find out after having tea with Percy. Rated M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**Hellohello! Here's a new story I came up with! It's a love story between Marcus and Percy. :) It's Alternate Universe, so Harry Potter didn't happen. They're in their twenties when this story takes place. I'm also sorry for any grammatical errors you come across. Um...that's about all I've gotta say. I hope you all like it! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

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><p><strong>MARCUS POV<strong>

Love at first sight.

It's such a beautiful thought, but many people believe it to be irrational. How can you fall in love with someone you've never spoken a single word to? People that fall in love at first sight are probably of the free-living, whimsical type. They don't take life seriously because they're open to any and every thing that comes their way. They don't think things through and that's not normal blah blah blah blah...

Do I think people against love at first sight are wrong? No. I respect their opinion and believe that it has a strong foundation of evidence. In fact, I used to be one of those people. I used to think love at first sight was stupid and unreal. You can't possibly love someone you don't know a thing about. Boy, was I proven wrong today.

I walked into Daphne's (my favorite tea shop) this afternoon for my usual cup of earl grey and pumpkin pasty. Every day around two I go in and Daphne, the woman who owns the place, always has my cup and plate ready for me. Today was no different. I walked over to the counter and she handed me my cup and plate with her usual warm smile. I gave her the sickles and walked over to my usual table by the window. I had the Daily Prophet open in front of me and was readying myself to read what looked like an enticing tale of a second year witch who fended off three Dementors all by herself using nothing but a simple disillusionment charm. I took a long sip of my tea and as I was lowering my cup I nearly spit it all out when I noticed the man standing at the counter.

I had never seen a person before who had such perfect proportions. He was tall with long arms and legs that looked quite toned under his form fitting clothes. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a coin with long fingers. His hair was red and curly and everything about him was just so perfect. I knew right then that this man was the most gorgeous man alive and I had only seen the back of him.

Daphne handed him a cup of tea, he paid her and then turned to find a table. If I thought the back of his head was something to look at, his face was beautiful. His skin looked smooth and was splattered lightly with freckles. His cheekbones were high and his rosy lips were turned up slightly as he gazed around the room with the most beautiful crystal eyes.

He walked over to a table a few feet away from me and sat down. He looked out the window and took a small sip. I watched his throat as he swallowed and smiled as he sputtered a bit, probably due to the heat. I looked around the shop, wondering if he was here with anyone, but everyone else was already at their own table. _I wonder if he'll let me sit with him._ I thought as I moved to stand up. Before I could push my chair back a girl walked in and sat across from him. He smiled at her and they started to talk.

I sighed and relaxed in my chair. _He's on a date._ I thought. This beautiful man continued to talk with this girl and I went back to reading my paper. A few times I glanced over at them and each time it seemed like they were having a serious discussion._ Maybe she's a coworker or something._ I smiled at the thought, thinking that I might still have a chance. After I finished my tea and treat, I pretended to read the paper. They kept talking and the longer they talked the more stressed he seemed to become. Finally, she stood up and he quickly followed her. They hugged and he kissed her cheek. _Crap, it was a date._ I thought. She walked out and he cleaned up the table before walking out as well. I watched him from the window as he walked across the cobble stone road. He pulled out his wand and disappeared.

As soon as he apparated I felt cold and empty. I couldn't explain the feeling...all I knew is I didn't like the fact that he was gone.

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><p>The next day I went into Daphne's again. She handed me my tea and treat, I paid her, and sat at my table. This time I had documents from work to look through. I worked in the Department of Magical Games and Sports at the Ministry. Apparently the good old Chudley Cannons were suing the Holyhead Harpies for charming the goal posts to attract the Quaffles and it's my job to sort it all out in the hopes that we can avoid a lawsuit all together. The door opened and I glanced up quickly and was shocked to see him again. He walked over to the counter, ordered something and then looked around for a place to sit. I looked around as well and I felt my stomach flutter when I noticed almost every seat was taken.<p>

He chewed his lip and his eyes finally landed on me. He walked over and with each step he took I felt like my heart was going to jump out of my chest.

"Excuse me?" he said.

I looked up and willed my mouth not to drop open. He was more beautiful up close.

"Would it be alright if I sat here with you? It's quite chilly out today and the place is packed..."

His voice could've melted me. "Um, of course. Take a seat. Here, let me move a few of my things out of the way."

"Thank you."

He sat across from me and set his cup in front of him.

"What're you having?" I asked.

"Peppermint. You?"

"Earl Grey."

"That's a nice choice."

He took a sip of his tea and I glanced down just enough to where it would look like I was focusing on my work, but I could still see him.

"You work for the Ministry?" he asked.

I nodded. "Yes. Magical Games and Sports."

"I work there too."

"What department?"

"I'm Senior Undersecretary to the Ministry."

I nearly choked on my pasty. "You're Percy Weasley!"

He nodded. "That's right."

"You're famous around the Ministry. Word has it the Minister would be completely lost without you."

"Oh, well, I don't know about that."

"You've done some great work you know."

"Thank you."

I smiled and could feel my heart swell. _Not only is he stunning, but he's quite intelligent._ I thought. Percy Weasley was someone you strived to be. I've listened to many people at the Ministry talk about him and they all admire him. I've always wanted to meet him, but I've never had the chance to, until now.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name." he said.

"Oh, I'm Marcus Flint."

He held out his hand. "Nice to meet you."

I grabbed his hand and sparks shot through my arm. "Likewise."

"Anyway, I'm sorry for interrupting. There was just no other place to sit."

"Don't worry about it. You aren't bothering me at all."

"Well, don't mind me. I'll just have my tea and then I need to get back home soon."

He looked out the window again and took another sip of his tea. I sipped mine and lowered my head back to my work. I really tried to focus on my work, I really did, but Percy was really distracting. True to his word he just sipped his tea, but I couldn't focus. He wasn't a slurper or anything, but every time he set his cup back down, his hand came back into my line of sight and I looked at it. Just knowing what the hand was attached to made me feel all fuzzy inside. I really wanted to just stare at his handsome face all day, but we only just met. That'd probably scare him off. The good news though was I didn't see a wedding ring or any sign that he had worn one. So at least I could say he wasn't married.

"Well, thank you for letting me sit with you." Percy said.

I jerked out of my thoughts and smiled up at him. "Not a problem. It was nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too. Maybe I'll see you around the Ministry some time."

"Yeah. Have a nice day."

"Thank you. You too."

He waved and walked out of the shop. Like yesterday, I watched him walk across the street and apparate away. Percy Weasley, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic. _Could he be anymore perfect? _

I finished my tea and looking through the documents. Lucky for me, there was no sign that any charm had been used on the goal posts, so there was no case, which meant less work for me. I gathered all of my stuff and left my the shop, which was still crowded, and walked over to the apparation point to apparate to my flat.

I appeared outside my front door, unlocked it and pushed it open. Walking in I could smell burning food and could hear Adrian cursing. Adrian Pucey is both my best friend and roommate. He and I went to Hogwarts together and ever since we met we've been attached at the hip.

"Should I even go into the kitchen?" I asked.

"Um...I could use some help..."

I walked into the kitchen and tried to hide my smile. On the stove is a pot of something that had boiled over, the oven is open and a black mass is smoking inside.

"Magic or muggle?" I asked.

"I started out the muggle way, and then I tried to save it with magic."

"Open the window."

As he moved to open the window, I levitated the burnt whatever it was out of the oven. We looked through the food to see if anything was salvageable, but unfortunately nothing was edible anymore. Not even the owls would nibble at it. We fire called one of our other close friends, Miles Bletchely, and about ten minutes later he walked into our house with muggle take-out.

"Haven't you learned by now not to let Adrian anywhere near the kitchen?" Miles asked.

"Don't look at me, I just got home." I said.

"Where'd you go?"

"Daphne's."

"That was four hours ago. You're never gone that long." Adrian remarked.

"I was doing work."

"Good for you, Marcus. Any chance you have to work you should take advantage of it." Miles said.

"You're so lame." Adrian said.

Miles rolled his eyes and continued to eat his pizza. We chatted for a couple of hours about our lives, well they chatted, I mostly just sat there and tried to listen. My mind kept wandering back to Percy. I had probably spent less than an hour with him and I felt that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him. I didn't know a thing about him, other than the fact that he worked at the Ministry and was really handsome. I wanted to know more. What was his favorite color? What was his middle name? How old was he? What was his family like? Did he eat muggle take-out like me?

"Earth to Marcus." Adrian said, snapping his fingers in front of my face.

"What?"

"You totally spaced out there. What are you thinking of?"

"Nothing."

"Liar."

"What?"

"Marcus we've been friends for sixteen years. I know when you're lying."

Miles nodded in agreement. "I have to agree with him. You're not a very good liar and knowing you since Hogwarts makes it easier to pick up on it."

"You won't leave me alone unless I tell you, will you?" I asked.

Adrian nodded. "Just be glad Terence isn't here. He'd have you on the floor right now, sitting on you until you told him your secret."

"Fine. I met someone today."

"Oh? What kind of someone? A male someone?"

"Yes, a male someone."

"Who is he?"

"I'm not going to tell you."

"Why not?"

"Because it's none of your business."

"Marcus, come on! We're your friends! You've gotta tell us!"

"Adrian, leave him alone. Marcus will tell us when he's ready."

"Thank you, Miles." I said.

He shrugged. "Don't mention it. But you'd better be ready to tell us soon or I will force it out of you."

"You've been spending too much time with Terence."

This caused us all to laugh and thankfully they moved on to talking about Terence. I joined in for a bit but then let my mind wander back to Percy. He really was incredibly handsome. I had work the next morning. _Maybe I'd get there a few minutes early and see if I can run into him. I have to see him again. I have to learn more about him._ I thought about his dazzling smile and the melodic sound of his voice. I felt like my heart was literally melting inside of me.

_Don't lose this one, Marcus. Don't lose this one._

**What do we all think so far? :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Welcome to the second chapter everyone! :) Thank you all for reading! :) This chapter is completely Percy's POV. I will be alternating between Percy and Marcus. :)**

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><p><strong>PERCY POV<strong>

Love at first sight.

Absolutely the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard of. You can't possibly fall in love before you even know the person. How superficial is that? As people, we walk around believing in the wonderful idea of loving someone immediately, but all we're doing is giving into our shallow sides. We're creating this fictitious world where we give into our selfish desires...not a world I want to play a part in.

If I'm being honest, I was once a fool that believed in love at first sight. About six years ago, I met Audrey Cooper. She was the most beautiful girl I had ever laid eyes on and I thought I was in love. She told me she felt it too. A year later we were married and a year after that we had a baby girl together. Looking back I realize that we definitely rushed into our relationship, but then I didn't think we could move fast enough. Audrey and I were in love and had been in love since the day we first saw each other at the book store.

Doesn't that just sound wonderful?

Oh, before you make your decision, I left out a very important detail. Three months after our daughter, Lucy, was born, Audrey left us. She couldn't handle the responsibility and wanted to live her life. She divorced me and then disappeared for two years. She never wrote or came to see us and I was left a single dad, heartbroken that the one person I fell in love with left me. So if I'm a little bitter about love at first sight, well, you know why.

Ever since Audrey walked out on Lucy and I, I've had a little bit of difficulty adjusting to new people in my life. It's hard to trust people and I want to, but I don't someone else leaving me, especially now that I have another person to take into account. My daughter is more important than me and I don't want someone walking into her life just to walk out. Thankfully, she was too little to understand when Audrey left me but now that she's four years old, she understands perfectly.

The fact that Lucy had grown up enough to understand what happens when people come and go in your life is the exact reason why I spent today pacing in my living room.

"Percy, you need to calm down." Penny said.

"I can't. Who knows what's happening?"

"Audrey told you they were just going to the zoo."

"What if she loses her? Or lets her get to close to the cage?"

"She won't."

"How do you know?"

"Because I just do. Now, sit with me before you give me a headache."

I sighed and sat next to her on the couch. Penelope Clearwater was one of my best friends. She has been in my life since Hogwarts. We met when we were twelve and have been friends ever since. I'll admit I had a little crush on her and she was the first girl I ever kissed, but we agreed that we would be better off as just friends. She's always had my back and has done nothing but support me. She and Oliver Wood were the only two people in my world that I trust completely.

"They should be home by now." I said, glancing up at the clock.

"Percy, she said she'd have her back by three. It's five 'til."

"She better not be late."

"She's never been late before."

"First time for everything."

Penny sighed and squeezed my shoulder. We sat in silence for a few minutes, my eyes glued on the clock. At two fifty-nine, I heard a car door slam. I jumped up from my seat, startling Penny, and hurried to the door. As I opened it, Audrey and Lucy were walking up the walk way.

"Daddy!"

Lucy ran over to me and jumped into my arms. I hugged her tightly and kissed her curly head.

"Daddy! Mummy took me to the zoo and we saw lions!"

"Yeah? Did you have fun?"

"Yeah! Mummy bought me some new toys and we had ice cream!"

"Did you?"

"Mmhmm. I bought you a present!"

"I can't wait to see it."

"Aunty Penny! Daddy, lemme go!"

I set her down and she ran over to Penny.

"Hey, Percy." Audrey said.

"Was she good?" I asked.

"Of course. She's always on her best behavior. Here's her stuff. She has a little snow globe from the arctic exhibit in there, so be careful. I put it between the stuffed animals, so it should be fine."

"Thank you."

"Of course."

"Did she do anything...strange?"

"Nope. There were no signs today."

"Good. Well, I'll see you next Friday."

"Does one still work for you?"

"Of course. I'll call you if anything changes."

"Great. Well, I'm off."

"Lucy, come say goodbye!"

Lucy ran up behind me, between my legs and hugged Audrey.

"Bye mummy!"

"Bye, sweetheart. I'll call you tonight before bed, okay?"

"Okay."

Audrey kissed her cheek, waved and walked back to her car. Lucy watched her drive away before snatching her bag from my hands.

"Daddy, I wanna show you your present!"

"Well, calm down. It'll still be there if you open it slowly."

"Here!"

She pulled a little stuffed lion out of her bag and handed it to me.

"Thank you, Lu."

"It's like when you were little. Uncle Bill said that when you were at school, you liked lions."

_He told her about Gryffindor..._ "Yes, I did. Your whole family did."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Lions are my favorite animal."

"I know."

"Can I go play?"

"Of course. Just don't make a huge mess."

She grabbed her stuff and ran off to her room.

"It seems like she had a good day." Penny said.

"Yeah."

"She's trying, Percy."

"That doesn't change what she did."

Audrey severed her ties with us for two years before showing up at our doorstep. I never moved after she left us, so it was easy for her to find us. She apologized for being selfish and said she wanted to be a part of our daughter's life. I wanted absolutely nothing to do with her, but even though I'm her father, I knew I couldn't make the decision for Lucy. Lucy had already thought of Penny as her mother, but I thought I'd at least give Lucy the chance to meet Audrey. Thankfully, Audrey meant what she said. It started out with visiting us for a couple of hours a few days a week. Then it slowly progressed to spending the day just the two of them. Regardless of her actions in the past, Audrey was a good mother. She had never strayed from Lucy's routine and when she spent time with her, she spent time with her. It wasn't like Lucy went over to her place and played with her stuff while Audrey did her own thing. They actually did stuff together. As wary and uneasy as I was about Audrey being in Lucy's life, I was glad that she had been putting forth the effort.

"Well, I'm gonna head out, Percy. I've got work in a few hours."

"Thank you for spending the day with me." I said.

"Of course. Thank you for having me."

"Not a problem. Lucy's probably in her room."

She walked down the hall to say good bye to Lucy, hugged me goodbye and then left. I could hear Lucy playing with her dolls in the other room, so I got myself busy with a little housework. With a flick of my wand, the clutter was put back to it's rightful places. I picked up the neglected mail from the table and separated the muggle from the wizard mail. I paid a few bills, read a few letters from some old colleagues and finally came to a small letter with my mother's handwriting all over the envelope. I sighed and forced myself to read the letter.

_Percy,_

_How are you, dear? I don't see you nearly as much as I want to, so I hope that you're doing okay. Your father says he hardly sees you at work anymore. Is everything alright? Of course it is. You're Percy. You're the one child I never had to worry about because you were always on top of things. I'm sure you're okay, but it would make me feel a lot better if you wrote or stopped by once in a while._

_How's my little girl doing? I got the pictures you sent us last week. She's growing up so fast! I started to knit her Weasley sweater, but I decided to hold off and do hers last. She just keeps getting bigger and bigger. Arthur and I were thinking that maybe it might be nice to have a day just the three of us. Make it a special Grandpa and Grandma day. Of course you'll have to work out the details but doesn't that sound nice? We just miss her so much and we know that she might be a little starved for attention, what with you working and her not having a mother._

_Speaking of, have you considered taking Audrey back? I know she upset you, but she is Lucy's mother, you know. Lucy needs a mother if she wants to be raised right. I know, I know you've got your friends that babysit, and that's fine and all, but a babysitter will never replace her mother. I know you can be stubborn, but you should really consider taking her back. From what I hear, Audrey's really turning her life around and she was such a sweet girl. You should really give her a second chance, Percy._

_Anyway, I look forward to hearing form you. Give Lucy our love and maybe we'll see you soon._

_Love,_  
><em>Your mother<em>

I balled the parchment and tossed it into the waste basket.

"Lucy, you want to help me make dinner!"

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><p>"Greg, I'm going on my lunch break! I'll be back in an hour!" I called out.<p>

He waved at me and I walked out of the office. I nodded politely to a few of my coworkers before stepping into the lift.

"Wait! Hold the doors!"

I grabbed the door and a man squeezed through.

"Thanks, mate."

"You're welcome." I said.

"Oh, hello, Percy."

"Hi, Marcus. How are you today?"

"Great. My day here is finished."

"Lucky you. I'm just now getting on my lunch break."

"I am not jealous of you."

I shared his smile and took a moment to study him. Marcus didn't quite fit in with the idea of a Ministry employee. He was extremely tall and very muscular. He had a build much like Oliver's, and he's a professional athlete. Marcus definitely seemed like he would play Quidditch for a living instead of sitting behind a desk all morning.

The lift doors opened and a woman walked in. She smiled at us and stood in between us. I watched as she conspicuously checked him out. I didn't blame her. For a man, Marcus was very attractive. He had short black hair and these dark, intense eyes. Even as he chatted with the woman his eyes seemed to be full of much more meaning than what came out of his mouth. When he smiled, he radiated friendliness and you couldn't help wanting to strike up a conversation with him.

When the witch walked out, he started to laugh.

"What's so funny?" I asked.

"Hmm? Oh, nothing. Did you notice her flirting with me?"

"I did. She was not subtle one bit."

"No she wasn't. I feel bad for laughing, but it's just so funny."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. She's barking up the wrong tree and she was just so obvious with her flirting that I didn't have the heart to say anything."

I stared at him and I was sure I had a strange expression on my face because he stopped laughing.

"Did I just make you uncomfortable?" he asked.

"Oh, no. I just didn't peg you as the type to be gay."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. You just remind me of one of my friends and he's as straight as they come."

"Interesting. Does this make you uncomfortable?"

"No, not at all. To each their own. Well, here's my floor."

"Alright. I'll see you around."

"Yeah. See you."

He smiled at me and I couldn't help but smile back. As I walked off the lift I glanced back once and he was still smiling at me. I waved and because I wasn't watching where I was going I tripped over my own feet and nearly fell over. He started laughing and I could feel my face heat up. I quickly turned and walked around the corner._ Smooth Percy...very smooth._ I thought.

**Let me know what you all think! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey everyone! Here's the next update! Thank you all for being patient with me...my schedule is pretty hectic and I go back to school tomorrow so I'll be even busier...Hopefully, I'll still be able to update regularly. Anyway, I love you guys and thanks for reading! :D**

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><p><strong>MARCUS POV<strong>

Things went great for about a week after I ran into Percy at the Ministry. I never looked for him, but I saw him more in a week than I had seen the other people in my department. We ran into each other on the lift multiple times, in the loo, and just walking through the Ministry. Once I had a particularly brutal case about whether or not all professional Quidditch players should have the same brooms and I had to work over time. I mentioned it to Percy and he asked me to join him for lunch. I almost passed out I was so happy.

After spending lunch together I was convinced that I was in love. Was I actually in love? I don't know, but I sure as hell believed it. We didn't really talk too much about anything of importance, just work and and trivial things. Unfortunately, lunch ended all too quickly for my opinion. We both had to go back to work and my day ended up being a lot longer than I anticipated because I couldn't stop thinking of him. Every time I tried to focus on my work, my mind would wander to him.

"Hey, you doing alright?"

I blinked as fingers were snapped in front of my face.

"What?"

Graham Montague, a coworker of mine, smirked at me. "You've zoned out again."

"I did?"

"Yep. You've been zoning out a lot lately. Something on your mind?"

"Um, yeah."

"Is everything alright? Your family okay? I know you're dad's been feeling down lately."

"Oh, he's fine. My family's fine. Everything is okay."

I smiled and quickly lowered my head to my work. I could feel Montague watch me for a moment before returning to his work. I forced myself to finish everything and hurried to clock out, hoping I could maybe catch Percy in the lift before he went out for lunch. I saw him standing there, waiting for the lift to come and I couldn't wipe the smile off my face.

"Afternoon, Percy."

He barely looked at me. "Afternoon."

"How has your day been?"

"Fine."

He sighed loudly and rubbed his eyes. I noticed the dark circles under his eyes and he didn't look as put together as normal.

"Is everything alright?" I asked.

"Yeah. Just family stuff."

"I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do for you?"

He laughed a little. "You'd probably get yourself arrested."

_What in the world?_ "Um..."

"Sorry. I've jut got this really complicated and obnoxious person in my life that I really want to get rid of."

"Oh, I see."

"Yeah. I really don't want to be at work today, but I have to and it's pissing me off and I just feel so stressed!"

I squeezed his shoulder. "Well, you've only got a few more hours and then you can go home and unwind."

"I wish. As soon as I clock out here, I've gotta get home and start my second job."

"Oh?"

"Yep."

Finally the lift arrived. Unfortunately, it was super crowded. Percy and I squeezed on and everyone in the lift was miserable. It was hot and someone kept moving, causing everyone else to jostle around. Percy's stop came and he quickly got off with a couple other people, looking worse than he did a few minutes ago. I waved, but I don't think he saw me.

When my stop came I pushed off, finding it difficult to catch my breath. I left the Ministry and walked over to the apparation point.

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><p>"You're late."<p>

I roll my eyes as my mother hugged me. "Sorry. There were like a thousand more people in the Ministry today so it was extra crowded and the apparation point was a zoo."

"Well, you're here now. Come now. Minny's got lunch on the table and you know how your father gets if he's too hungry."

"How's he doing, by the way?"

"Oh, he's more tired than usual but he's hanging in there."

She led me through the hallway and into the dining room, where my dad was standing, holding out a chair. Mother wasn't joking. He looked exhausted. His dark eyes were dull and his hair seemed grayer than usual. The age lines on his face were deeply etched and he looked a few decades older than he actually was. He looked like he could be my mother's father. Although she's closing in on fifty, her blonde hair was still long and thick and her light eyes shined with youth.

On the table was our usual four course lunch. Minny the house-elf stood in the corner, her hands clasped behind her back, and waiting patiently for our lunch to be finished. When we were all sitting, she snapped her fingers and our food was magically served.

"So, Marcus, tell us, how's work been for you?" Mum asked.

"It's been great, actually. I've been keeping busy. Quidditch is at it's prime right now so there's games to review, broom sales to look over and of course, Quidditch players are suing each other over every stupid thing."

"It's ridiculous, if you ask me." Dad said. "Quidditch players are absolutely ridiculous. You were smart to get out when you did."

I opened my mouth to retort, but Mum cleared her throat and shot me a look across the table.

"How are the boys doing?" she asked.

"Oh, they're fine." I said.

"I saw Terence the other day. He looks great."

"Why wouldn't he be?"

"I don't know. I mean, after what happened between you two, I know he was pretty upset about the whole thing."

"Do we really have to talk about this? I'm trying to eat here." Dad said.

"Yeah, Mum, we really don't need to talk about this. That was in the past, we talked and things are okay between us now."

"Oh, well, that's great."

Her smile was tight. The awkward vibe was incredibly thick, even Minny looked ready to bolt. Basically, my parents weren't too thrilled about me being gay. When I came out at seventeen they were both shocked and kept asking if I was really sure. I dated a few guys and came to the conclusion that I was really sure. When I brought Terence home as my boyfriend they finally seemed to accept that I was gay. Although they've accepted it, that doesn't necessarily mean they like it. I could tell they were very uncomfortable about the whole thing.

Lunch seemed to drag on, mum and I both trying to start conversations about anything. Dad's a pretty pessimistic kind of guy, so pretty much anything we talked about he had something negative to say. I couldn't have been happier when I finished my pudding and Minny took away the dishes. She seemed pretty relieved as well.

"Well, Marcus, why don't you go clean yourself up a bit and join us in the parlor for a quick cup of tea before you head out. I know my tea is no Daphne's, but I think it's still pretty good."

"Of course. I'll be right there."

I walked out of the dining room and made my way to the bathroom. I stopped in the hallway to look at the pictures, most of them embarrassing shots of me as a kid. There's this particularly humiliating one of me when I was little. My dad had been trying to get me to take a bath after I had been flying around on my toy broom all day. It had just rained, so the ground was muddy and I kept falling off my broom. I had needed a bath that day, but I didn't want one. As soon as I felt I was clean, I jumped out of the tub and ran out of the bathroom. Unfortunately, mum had snapped a picture of me running down the hall naked. It's in a nice large frame in the center of the wall. She won't take it down.

Knowing how much my mother hates waiting, I hurried to the bathroom and cleaned myself up a bit. I walked back into the parlor, but stopped at the entryway.

"What is it dear?" Mum asked.

"I see you've done some redecorating." I said.

"Oh that? Well, you see, I know you said you didn't want this stuff up, but it's a part of you and I just wanted it on display. You're not upset, are you?"

I studied the large portrait of me on the wall, donned in my Falmouth Falcons robes. My arms were crossed in front of me and I was smiling widely at the camera. On a little table in front of it are more pictures of me, some on my broom, others with my old team. The Quaffle that I scored three hundred and seventy points with is on a stand, covered in a bunch of signatures from my old teammates and coach.

"No." I said.

"See? What did I tell you, Vivian? he is not happy." Dad said.

"Oh, Marcus, I'm sorry! I'm just so proud of you and you were so happy when you played. I know it brings up bad memories, but I wanted to show you off."

"Mum, it's fine. Really. I'm over it."

"Are you sure? I can take it down."

"No, keep it up. It's fine. Let's just have the tea."

She nodded and busied herself with getting everything ready. I sat in a chair, making sure my back was to my past.

* * *

><p>The rest of the week was hell. A dozen people tried to rob Gringotts. They were all highly skilled witches and wizards and it took the entire Auror department to stop them. That meant that the rest of us had to work over time to get things done and some of us had to do things that weren't even a part of out departments. I was ready to pull my hair out. I couldn't have been more happy when I clocked out Saturday night, ready to enjoy a much needed two days off. Once again, I ran into Percy on the lift.<p>

"You have no idea how happy I am to see you." He said.

"Probably not as happy as I am to see you." I remarked.

Hearing him say those words made my heart do a few back flips.

"I have been dealing with rude and annoying people all week. The Minister's been tense and guess who he took all his frustration out on. Me. I have never felt so...overworked in my entire life."

"I feel the same way. Lucky for me, I've got the next two days off."

"You are lucky. I've only got tomorrow off."

"Well that's better than nothing."

"I guess."

He rubbed his face and groaned.

"Hey, do you have plans tonight?" I asked.

"Sleep, but it is only seven. Why?"

"I was wondering if maybe you wanted to get a drink or two. With the week we've had, we both deserve it."

"You know, I'm not one to drink more than a nice glass of wine, but something a little stronger sounds great right about now."

"Great! I know the perfect place!"

We walked out of the Ministry and to the apparation point. He grabbed my arm (I thought I was going to melt right there) and I apparated us. As soon as we appeared in front of it, I could hear him gasp.

"What is this place?" he asked.

"Only the best pub in England. It's called Seraphina's. Seraphina, the owner, is part Veela, so you can imagine a lot of men frequent this place. They've got the best alcohol for pretty decent prices, the music's great, and while it's always busy, you can still get a table."

"How come I've never heard of this place."

"Well, aside from men, it only really caters to a specific kind of audience."

"What's that?"

As if on cue, a group apparated next to us. It was the Holyhead Harpies, dressed in their robes, cheering about the win that they probably just had and I'd read all about in the Prophet tomorrow."

"Quidditch players." He said.

"Yes. Other people do come here, but this is where Quidditch players usually hang out. Come on."

He followed me inside. We grabbed two seats at the bar and each ordered a shot of fire whiskey.

"Merlin, that's good." he said, downing his.

"Told you." I said.

"Yes, you did."

We talked for a bit and he kept marveling over the fact that he didn't have to shout for me to hear him. We each ordered a few more shots and soon he started to loosen up.

"Well, this has surely been a great night." he said, pulling out his wallet.

"Oh, I'll get it." I said.

"No, no. At least let me help."

"You don't have to."

He fumbled with his wallet, dropping it on the bar, a few of it's contents spilling out.

"I need a new one of these. No matter how many times I try to make it better with magic, it just keeps falling apart."

I smiled and helped him gather his belongings. I grabbed a small picture of a little girl. She smiled brightly at the camera. Her hair was curly and red like his and her brown eyes were huge. Her face was covered with freckles and she just looked like the happiest child in the entire world. Also, the picture didn't move.

"Who's this?" I asked.

Percy grabbed it and smiled. "My daughter."

"She's adorable."

"Thank you. She really is the cutest kid you will ever see."

"Well of course. She looks a lot like you."

He nodded.

"So, you have a kid. Does that also mean you have a wife?"

The smile left his face. "Nope."

_Way to make things awkward._ "Anyway, I'll pay for the drinks."

"Fine. But I'll pay next time."

_Next time?_ "It's a deal."

I paid for our shots and we left the bar. Outside, Percy took a deep breath.

"Thank you for the drinks, Marcus."

"You're welcome, Percy."

"I really enjoyed myself in there."

"I'm glad."

"Now, you and I both need to go home and get some much needed rest."

"Agreed."

"Well, I'll see you when I see you."

He gave me a side hug and my breath caught in my throat. I pulled him in for a full hug and he laughed a little.

"Good night, Marcus." he said, as he pulled away.

_Don't go!_ "Um, yeah. Good night."

He stared at me for a moment and I realized I hadn't let go of him yet. He coughed and pushed on my shoulders lightly, but I wouldn't loosen my grip. At that moment everything was perfect. The lights from the bar played across his face and he was only a few inches away from me. I found myself leaning forward. _So close, so close._

"What in the bloody hell do you think you're doing!"

Suddenly I'm shoved back and I nearly tripped.

"What?" I asked stupidly.

"Were you trying to kiss me?"

"Um..."

"Was that what this whole night was about? You know I'm stressed so you take advantage of it by taking me out to get drunk!"

"We didn't get drunk."

"And then you try to force yourself on me after I tell you that I have a family! What is wrong with you?"

"Percy, I"m sorry. I didn't mean to."

I reached out to him, but he pulled away.

"I don't care what you meant to do. News flash, I am not gay! I know you are, but that doesn't mean you can just jump every guy you meet."

"Percy-"

"I'm going home."

Before I could say anything, he disapparated. I kicked over the nearest trash can.

_How could I be so stupid?_

**Alright, so I know that in the past few chapters you've kind of had a lot of information thrown at you. I promise you that in the next chapter or two everything will be explained. Thanks again! :D**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hellohello! Here's chapter four! Thank you all for taking the time to read, I really do appreciate it. :) Now, before you read the story I've got a little warning for you: _JEFF IS NOT A PEDOPHILE!_ I know, that's the strangest warning to have before you read a story, but I just want you all to know that Jeff, a character I've created, is not a pedophile. He doesn't hurt Lucy and he never will. Anyway, on that delightful note, enjoy! :D**

* * *

><p><strong>PERCY POV<strong>

I didn't see Marcus for a few days after we went out for drinks. Not only was I busy with work, but I didn't even see him on the lift. I even went back to the pub, hoping to maybe spot him, but he was never there.

I felt terrible. I wanted to apologize. I knew I had overreacted. We weren't drunk and it wasn't like he was forcing himself on me. He just wanted to kiss me. He's gay and he clearly found me attractive. It wasn't his fault that he fancied me. I could've sat him down and explained to him that I wasn't gay and not interested but could we still be friends. Instead, I got upset and exploded on him.

After another failed attempt to find Marcus at the Ministry I apparated home. My house was eerily quiet and I had to remind myself that Lucy was at Audrey's. She'd be home soon. I busied myself with making dinner so it'd be ready when she got home.

Soon enough, I heard the knock on my front door. Smiling widely I pulled it open, only to have my smile go away.

"Hi daddy!" Lucy threw herself around my legs, but I couldn't take my eyes off _him_.

"Evening Percy." he said.

I could feel my jaw harden. "Evening Jeff."

Jeff York. He's Audrey's boyfriend and the most vile person I have ever met. I was pretty sure he didn't have more than a basic education and he's unemployed. He wore dirty clothes and he most likely didn't bathe on a regular basis, or he just naturally looked disgusting. His dirty blond hair was long and matted to his head and his clothes always had some sort of stain on them. He was far from friendly and not the kind of person I wanted around my daughter.

"Where's Audrey?" I asked.

"The car grabbing Lucy's things." he said.

Sure enough, Audrey came hurrying up the walk holding Lucy's bag and what looked to be artwork.

"Hello, Percy! How are you this evening?" she asked.

"Fine." I say, keeping my eyes locked on Jeff.

"Here. Lucy painted these for you today. I'm not sure they're dry all the way, so be careful."

I took the paintings from her hand.

"We had another good day today." Audrey continued.

"Good."

"Well, I think Jeff and I should be going. Come here, Lucy."

Audrey knelt down and Lucy flung her arms around her.

"Bye Mummy."

"Bye, Lu. Mummy loves you so much."

"Love you too!"

Lucy kissed Audrey's cheek and Audrey kissed hers in return. She stood up and before I could say anything, Jeff lifted Lucy into his arms.

"Bye scout!"

"Bye-bye Jeff."

He looked at me with his evil green eyes. I fisted my hands when he kissed her cheek. It wasn't a peck like how Audrey kissed her, but it was a big, sloppy looking one.

"Ew!" Lucy said, pushing his face away but giggling.

He started to put her down but I grabbed her instead.

"See you around." he said.

Putting an arm around Audrey's waist he led her back down the walk way. I slammed the door and proceeded to wipe left over saliva from Lucy's cheek.

"Jeff is funny!" she said.

"Is he?" I asked.

"Mmhmm. We played games today."

"What'd you play?"

"Tea Party!"

"Is that all?"

"Mummy and I colored."

"And what else?"

"When Mummy put the colorings out to dry, Jeff gave me a ride."

"What sort of ride?"

"On his back."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah! We also had a tickle fight!"

"With Mummy?"

"Mummy came after."

"After?"

"Mmhmm. Jeff and I started the tickle fight then she started tickling too!"

I let out a sigh of relief.

"Daddy?"

"Yes?"

"I'm hungry."

"Lucky for you I made your favorite dinner tonight."

"Macaroni!"

She cheered all the way to the kitchen.

* * *

><p>The next day at work I finally saw Marcus. He was talking with a witch and pointing to a document in her hands. I hurried over and waited for them to finish. When she walked away I cleared my throat.<p>

"Oh, hey Percy." Marcus said, smiling widely.

"Hi Marcus."

"How are you doing?"

"I'm alright. How about you?"

"I'm doing great. You heading out to lunch?"

"Yes."

"That's what I've been trying to do for the past ten minutes. Every time I get a little closer to the lifts someone needs my help."

"You wanna get lunch together?"

"Sure."

We walked over to the lifts and got on. Across the street form the Ministry is this restaurant that is known for it's delicious soups. It's blistery out today, so Marcus and I chose to go there.

After our soup came we ate in silence for a moment.

"Thank you for inviting me out, Percy." he said.

"You're welcome."

"Any particular reason or just because?"

"I wanted to talk about the other night."

He put down his spoon. "Oh. Right. About that, I'm very sorry. I let my emotions get the best of me and I shouldn't have assumed that you felt the same way-"

"Don't apologize. I should be the one apologizing. You did nothing wrong. I jumped to conclusions and exploded on you for no reason."

"Percy, you don't have to apologize."

"Yes, I do. I was very unfair to you. I do hope you'll forgive me."

Marcus looked like he was going to say more about how I didn't have to apologize, but instead he smiled and said, "I do."

"Thank you."

"May I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Why did you freak out?"

"It's a long story."

"I like stories."

"Well, we only have a limited amount of time for lunch, so I'll give you the short version. I used to be married. Audrey and I married five years ago, but divorced about four years ago. Looking back on it, that relationship was a mistake. I proposed to her four months into our relationship and I didn't really know much about her. I just thought she was smart, pretty and very personable. My young and naive mind thought she was perfect. Anyway, after Lucy was born she just walked out on us. Ever since I have a hard time trusting people. I haven't dated since Audrey and come to think of it I haven't made many friends either. You just never know who's going to come into your life just to mess things up and leave."

"I'm so sorry." he said.

"Then she had the nerve to come back two years later and claim she wants to be a mum again. That's fine and all, and things are going well, but in the past year, she's got this boyfriend and he is terrible, Marcus. He's disgusting and I just don't trust him around my daughter."

"Do you think he hurts her?"

"I don't think so. Lucy's never ever been alone with him, and she never will, but I can't confidently say that nothing bad will happen if he's alone with her. That's the vibe I get from him!"

"Have you mentioned this to Audrey?"

"Yes, but she claims that he's this wonderful man. I mean, he could be putting on a show to get a rise out of me, but still...I just don't trust him. I know I've got trust issues, but trust me, if you knew this guy, you'd think the same thing."

"I believe you."

I smiled. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

I let out a long breath. "Wow, I feel like I just got a load off my shoulders."

"Do you ever talk to people about this?"

"My two best friends. Other than them though, I've never really talked to anyone. You're the only other person I've told this to."

"Well, I'm flattered that you told me."

He smiled widely and I couldn't help but smile back.

"So, now that you know my story, what's yours?" I asked, pushing down the sudden flutter in my stomach.

"My story's not nearly as interesting as yours." he said.

"Oh, come on."

"Well, as you know, I'm gay. My parents aren't' too thrilled about it. I think that even though they know I can't change it they want me to still wake up one morning and be like 'I'm not gay anymore' or something like that."

"Have you ever had a boyfriend?"

"Yeah. I've dated a bunch of guys, but I've only ever had one serious relationship with a man."

"What happened there?"

He lowered his eyes and pushed his bowl away. "I don't even know. I literally woke up one morning and my whole world had changed."

"What do you mean?"

"You aren't much of a Quidditch fan, are you?"

"No, not really. I enjoy watching it form time to time though."

"You probably don't even know who you're talking to then."

"Am I supposed to?"

He laughed. "No. I used to be a Chaser for the Falmouth Falcons, recruited right out of Hogwarts. I was the greatest Chaser they had ever had. In fact, I know that I still hold some of the records. I was always ranked number one and in Quidditch Weekly. I was at the top of my game."

"What happened?"

"I took a Bludger to the head. It was hit with a powerful arm and got me right in the side of the head. I fell of my broom and it all happened so fast, no one really knew what was going on. I woke up in St. Mungo's two weeks later. My memory was shot and it wasn't looking good. Obviously, I was out for the season. When my memory started to come back I got into training again. When the season came up, I contacted my old coach and he told me that I didn't have my spot anymore. I thought I was just going to have to try out again like everyone else; I mean it made sense since I had been hospitalized for about a month. He told me he had found someone else though. Some rookie had taken my place and he was great, I won't lie. He's still there and he's only getting better. But yeah, my team didn't want me anymore. Other Quiddtich teams didn't want me. Even though I made a full recovery, they didn't think I could be reliable or something. That's when I joined the Ministry.

"Aside from losing Quiddtich, I also lost my boyfriend. When he would visit me at St. Mungo's he was very distant and didn't act like a boyfriend. I thought maybe it was because I didn't remember being more than just friends with him, but I quickly learned that he wanted to break up with me. It was ended on good terms, he and I are still civil to each other, but still. One day I was the greatest Quiddtich player the Wizarding World had ever seen with this great boyfriend, and then it seemed like the next day it was all taken away from me."

"That's awful." I said.

He shrugged. "I'm over it. In fact, it's a good thing it all happened."

"Why's that?"

"Had it not, I never would've met you."

I could feel my face heat up and he once again smiled his award winning smile.

**I know, this chapter was a teensy bit shorter than the others, but as promised I have given you all some insight into their pasts. :) Now that they're understanding each other a little bit more, their relationship will begin to blossom! :D**


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